Massachusetts sees spike in domestic violence homicides

Tuesday

MILFORD - The stabbing of a 60-year-old Milford woman Monday is the latest in a disturbing trend of rising domestic violence homicides, prevention advocates say.

The stabbing of a 60-year-old Milford woman Monday is the latest in a disturbing trend of rising domestic violence homicides, prevention advocates say.

There were 15 domestic violence-related murders in Massachusetts in 2005, 31 in 2006, and 37 as of October this year, according to Jane Doe Inc., a nonprofit coalition against sexual assault and domestic violence.

Jeremias Bins is facing two counts of murder for allegedly beating his wife and 11-year-old stepson to death with a hammer in their Framingham home last year.

Radio personality and Waltham resident James Keown is also awaiting trial for allegedly poisoning his wife’s Gatorade with antifreeze in 2004.

“It’s a very sad day in Milford and a sad day for all of us in the state,” said Toni Troop, public relations director of Jane Doe Inc., a nonprofit coalition against sexual assault and domestic violence.

Jane Doe Inc. tracks homicides committed by current or former partners or spouses, those in which the motive was jealousy in the context of an intimate relationship, murders of victims killed while intervening in domestic violence, and murders in which the perpetrator had a controlling relationship with the victim.

Troop said the rise in domestic violence homicides stems from funding cuts to local, state and national victims services and outreach programs.

“We predicted we would see federal funding be decreased and that the state funding did not fill the gap and private funding has also been going down in the past few years because people thought we solved this problem,” Troop said. “People thought these issues were no longer a priority for funding.”

“Although we might not know for each person that was killed whether they reached out for services or not, when programs are not able to do that sort of outreach in the community, people aren’t aware that they’re available.”

Mary Gianakis, director of Framingham-based Voices Against Violence, which provides assistance to MetroWest victims, said that older victims, many of whom were raised at a time when domestic issues were kept private, may be reluctant to seek help.

“Reaching out can also escalate the violence,” she said. “I think that’s something that people forget when they say why didn’t she just leave, or why didn’t she get out of the situation. Domestic violence is about power and control so as soon as the abuser feels they are losing some of that control, they up the ante.”

Although police said they had no knowledge of previous violence between the Milford couple, Troop said that domestic homicides are rarely isolated incidents.

“When you start digging and asking different questions we’re likely to find that there was a different dynamic in play than what might have been apparent to people on the outside,” Troop said. “People don’t just snap and kill their spouse, it’s a very targeted choice.”

Debra Gabowitz, program director of Wayside Trauma Intervention Services in Milford, said that disrespectful behavior, isolation, someone not being allowed to go places, or reporting all of his or her activities to a partner are all warning signs of abuse.

“If it feels in that center of you that this doesn’t feel right, or it feels disrespectful, then you need to speak up and provide support,” she said. “You cannot force someone to make those hard important choices … most of what people need is a lot of information.”

Next week, Jane Doe Inc. will hold a white ribbon day at the State House as part of a 16-year-old international campaign that encourages men to speak out against domestic violence.

The statewide Domestic Violence SafeLink hotline can be reached at 1-877-785-2020, the Wayside Trauma Intervention Services at 800-511-5070, and Voices Against Violence at 1-800-593-1125.